Methanol Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

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Context (IE): Six tourists lost their lives in Laos due to suspected methanol poisoning.

What is Methanol Poisoning?

Methanol poisoning is a severe and potentially fatal condition that occurs when methanol, a type of alcohol used in industrial applications, is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

Methanol in Alcoholic Beverages: Methanol poisoning typically occurs when counterfeit or illicit alcohol containing methanol is consumed instead of ethanol (the alcohol found in beverages).
Metabolism in the Body: Methanol is metabolised by the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase into formaldehyde and formic acid, both toxic compounds.
Competition with Ethanol: Ethanol competes for the same enzyme, acting as a temporary antidote by slowing down methanol metabolism.

The Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations 2018 stipulate the maximum permissible quantity of methanol in different liquors.
The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has notified the mandatory certification for methanol.
The Indian Standard (IS 517) applies to how the quality of methanol is to be ascertained, and together with the Tamil Nadu Denatured Spirit, Methyl Alcohol, and Varnish (French Polish) Rules 1959, what signage and methanol packaging should carry.

Regulated Alcohol Sales: Governments should ensure alcohol production and sale adhere to safety standards to eliminate harmful methanol levels.
Methanol Screening: Regular testing of alcoholic products in unregulated markets can help identify and prevent contaminated beverages.
Prompt Medical Care: Seek immediate medical attention if methanol poisoning is suspected.

Methanol is also known as wood alcohol. It can be manufactured from a variety of domestic carbon-based feedstocks, such as biomass, natural gas, and coal.
Preparing methanol is based on the direct combination of carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. Increasingly, syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide derived from biomass, is used for methanol production.
It is cheap to produce relative to other alternative fuels.
It can completely mix with water. It appears as a colorless fairly volatile liquid with a faintly sweet pungent odor like that of ethyl alcohol.
It has a lower risk of flammability compared to gasoline.
It is used to make chemicals, to remove water from automotive and aviation fuels, as a solvent for paints and plastics, and as an ingredient in a wide variety of products.

Liquor is an alcoholic beverage produced through distillation rather than fermentation. The alcohol content varies significantly: Beer is around 5%, Wine is approx 12% & Distilled spirits roughly 40%.
The primary alcohol present is ethanol (C₂H₅OH), a psychoactive substance that, in low doses, reduces neurotransmission in the body, leading to intoxicating effects.
Spurious liquor, conversely, refers to adulterated or counterfeit alcoholic beverages. These may contain harmful substances and impurities, posing serious health risks to consumers.